06: When willow wept

Long before the dawn of the majestic tree at the center of ORRO, our project's idea was the little cute creature to teach people about a conscious smartphone usage. Clearly, the Tamagotchi influenced our original motive, hence the name "Smagotcha". But with time going by, we wanted a world of gardens to take over, with a tree at its center.

Progressing from creature to world, our designer Mette was willing to start anew. Many hours and Skype calls went by in which we discussed the details. Many ideas flooded in and before I could realize what ultimately drove me to agree on some of our designer's wild suggestions, a whole world was born with plants and planets, floors and skies, and finally: a leave-stripped tree towering in the center of the world.

There is a tragic story behind it and I would love to share it with you, to reveal one of the greatest moments of my life. In our digital world of sound gardens we wanted to give new life to the weeping willow tree that once stood in a park in Germany, peaceful and majestic, giving shelter on a sunny but mild spring day. So, at the end of February 2019, my co-founder Jana and I ventured into a blessed experience. For the first time of our lives we took the risk of a daydream. An excerpt from my diary:

Jana and I decided to take a trip. With a few blankets we marched towards a park close by. After about 40 minutes we began to notice that everything around us changes shape and color. The ponds that surrounded us here and there looked supernatural. The flora with its swinging branches was fractal-like. The honks of geese mixing with chattering humans sounded like theater only made for us. We searched for a spot where we could roll out our blankets to sit down under a beautiful weeping willow from which we could see a shimmering lake with swans and ducks paddeling around. Sometimes the sun enlighted us with its soft rays, serving prickling sensations on our skin. At times chilled blows of the wind moved layers of clouds to create playful shadows on the fluffy grass that Alice in Wonderland would have loved. On top of us the willow tree let its delicate branches dance, the sun's rays mystically shining through. The rustling of the wind sounded like nature engulfing us with pink noise. I lay down on my back and looked up into the massive crown. The thick stump was mighty and high. I closed my eyes and took five deep breaths. Before reaching higher than the treetop, magic made me speak: „I feel connected to everything.“

A few days after, I took my routine walk in the park as usual. I was shocked to find a bunch of forest workers cutting our new friend, the willow, into pieces. I had to learn that a storm uprooted the tree. It felt like an omen preparing Jana and me for a new world. The park workers were so generous to give me a piece of the willow's trunk that now decorates the top of my piano.

Time is due that we start to play that piece.